Disaster Section - The First - 2

Regardless of the direction I had chosen, the angel did her job.

“Now that you’ve confirmed what the disaster is, would you like to select your fifth World Collision victory reward?”

Ah. Right. I was supposed to pick that. Let’s take a look.

What the hell is this?

“Is something wrong?”

“I thought they gave me some pretty good traits? If I pick Aesthetic Architecture, the coral reef’s 〈Charm〉 will shoot up and solve the disaster right away. And if I choose Loyal Creation, wouldn’t that fix the Yogur-tosoth problem?”

“The traits provided by the organizers are always predicted based on what the player needs most. Given how extreme your stats are, it makes sense that these are what you require most.”

I see…

Then I’ll go with Plunderer.

“You’re not planning to use a trait to solve the disaster, then.”

Because I can break through it with the meteor reproduction evolution mechanism. It’s better to cultivate the ability to exploit the enemy’s ecosystem instead.

“I respect that choice as well! It’s an excellent strategy to willingly shoulder the risk and charge into danger. Very well, then. We will now begin the Disaster Section. Time will resume in five seconds.”

Good. Then… My clones, move out.

Things are about to get very busy.

The problem that needed solving first—and the one I could solve first—was, of course, Yogur-tosoth’s twisted attitude.

∞

The main quest, if you will. The inevitable disaster that absolutely had to be resolved demanded 540 points in 〈Beauty〉.

So what exactly was this 〈Beauty〉?

Just as 〈Life〉 in the game wasn’t a single value but the total sum of various metrics, 〈Culture〉 and 〈Charm〉 were also divided into different attributes.

Among them, I had to extract only those with the 〈Beauty〉 attribute and reach 540 points.

For someone like me with a pathetic Culture Level 2 ecosystem, it was an incredibly harsh demand. But surprisingly, there were quite a few beautiful things in my ecosystem.

The most obvious example was the Gummy Coral Reef in the Nectar Lake. It was colorful, covered in toppings, sparkled day and night, and was quite large in scale.

Unfortunately, it couldn’t break past 540 points. Because it was essentially a battlefield—constantly under attack and constantly being repaired. As a result, it gave off more of a sense of 〈Resilience〉 than 〈Beauty〉.

Current coral reef 〈Beauty〉 score: 253 points.

If I worked hard on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this Gummy Coral Reef, I might be able to push it past 540. That would also raise its 〈Charm〉, possibly promote the reef itself into a unique structure, or grant it additional traits…

So I dispatched one clone to the coral reef. Together with Abhojuth, we would refine it to be both more beautiful and more resilient.

Then there was the other direction. The individual in my ecosystem with the highest 〈Charm〉.

Yogur-tosoth. Charm score: 729 points. Of course, its 〈Beauty〉 was only around 3. The rest was dominated by 〈Fear〉, 〈Resilience〉, 〈Mystery〉, 〈Ferocity〉, and so on… But it was undeniably the one with the highest Charm.

There was no need for Yogur-tosoth to become beautiful. Honestly, how could that thing possibly become beautiful? I had deliberately made it terrifying and grotesque. I never designed it to be pretty.

“Poor Yogur-tosoth.”

Still, Yogur-tosoth was a mage. All it needed to do was perform a beautiful 〈ritual〉. In other words, put on a “show.” A spectacular performance of dazzling magic.

The problem was that a disaster had struck Yogur-tosoth, and my once loyal creation had become ‘arrogant.’

I would solve that first. Unlike usual, it was floating lazily through the air, lost in self-conflict. I just needed to encourage that bubble-and-tentacle mass and get it to perform one magnificent show.

Let’s start by talking to it.

“Yogur-tosoth. You seem to be having some very strange thoughts.”

There wasn’t much politeness in its tone. If anything, it sounded guarded. That was to be expected from something that had become ‘arrogant.’

But I had no intention of suppressing my child with whips and scolding. Children should be raised with love.

“You are allowed to think that way.”

“I told you that you may even covet the seat of a god. You have met three gods so far, haven’t you? Did they seem equal to me? Or did they look far beneath you?”

“Exactly. This game where we compete for the seat of god. I intend to become the final victor and claim the position of the true god—no, the position of the Demon King who subjugates all! So if my greatest creation claims it isn’t even a ‘god,’ that is something I cannot tolerate!”

I affirmed its arrogance.

Of course, arrogance was a vice. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠How many pathetic villains had fallen because they let their guard down?

“But you are allowed to be that way! You deserve to be treated with respect! You are a superior being! The ultimate lifeform that will force ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠all crude creations to their knees! Any trash that doesn’t even recognize its own greatness has no place in my ecosystem!

Therefore, I should reward you instead. Yogur-tosoth! I will now begin the promotion I had been putting off!”

I immediately drew the card the angel was holding and activated it on Yogur-tosoth.

In short, this guy’s 〈Charm〉 stat was about to skyrocket from now on.

Because arrogance symbolized dignity, pride, confidence, and autonomy.

“If I cannot even control something like you, then I am not qualified to be a god. However, unfortunately, Yogur-tosoth. You are still far from being worthy of being called a god. Surpassing me is even more absurd.”

I also stimulated its sense of complacency and inferiority.

“Do you remember Shika-doz? You never managed to defeat him until the very end.”

“Won? You mean after the Dessert Legion exhausted him completely and you only delivered the finishing blow? How impressive, oh great god.”

“Shika-doz possessed the dignity befitting a hero. Even though he was far weaker than you, he rampaged freely across the world and escaped with ease. Ah, well. There’s no need to imitate him. But the important thing is that Shika-doz didn’t fear you in the slightest!”

“That’s right. In the end, Shika-doz only resigned himself because you were strong and our world was superior. He never feared you. You were looked down on by him until the very last moment.”

I could feel Yogur-tosoth going into a frenzy. Its yogurt-colored bubbles boiled violently as its tentacles thrashed wildly.

“With that level of caliber, do you dare call yourself a god?”

It had taken the bait.

A noble became complacent because of arrogance, but it was also because of arrogance that they could possess a competitive spirit.

“Good. I look forward to seeing your true worth once you’ve grown. I granted you this promotion based on the achievements you’ve made so far. If you accomplish even greater deeds, I can give you even more.”

“Ah. Of course. You deserve to be worshipped. I can give you insignificant intelligent beings who will praise you, and I can give you territory as well. Manage them as you wish. It won’t be as good as the world I will create as the true god, but your own world should be quite splendid.”

I could feel Yogur-tosoth’s rage. Its inferiority complex at being used by others clashed with its pride at being the most superior among all my creations, sublimating in a positive direction.

“A disaster has arrived. Yogur-tosoth. I am currently working to elevate the rank of the coral reef I created in order to confront it. If you manage to defeat me and overcome the disaster first, then when we win the next collision, I shall bestow upon you territory, a legion, and creations that will worship you. 〈Beauty〉 can also be achieved through dignity and awe. Will you not be able to spread your power not only across this Dessert Desert, but across the entire world?”

The extremely enraged Yogur-tosoth converted all its accumulated experience into stats at once. It began researching magic and developing its abilities in a very positive direction.

“But if Yogur-tosoth wins, will you really give it territory?”

“I have to. I never said I’d give it properly, though.”

“How wicked. As always.”

Problem solved. Yogur-tosoth’s personality flaw had been sublimated in a positive direction.

With any luck, Yogur-tosoth would develop magic on its own and overcome the disaster. Even if it didn’t, I could break through by decorating the coral reef. Or perhaps the meteor reproduction evolution I was currently manipulating would bear fruit and produce at least one beautiful creature.

“That’s right. Speaking of which, how is the 〈Culture〉 and 〈Parasite〉 issue you said you’d solve with meteor reproduction? What’s the principle behind it?”

The remaining clones were working extremely hard on this, and it was still in progress.

There were so many jellies that even with the Group Evolution trait, an enormous amount of divine power was being invested. The effects weren’t appearing immediately.

But I could tell that I was succeeding.

“It used to be 2.”

In other words, if the same amount of time passed again, it would increase eighteenfold to 648. One more cycle after that and it would reach 11,664.

The issue here was time. It seemed like it would eventually reach the target, but the real race was whether it could do so before the Disaster Section ended.

“Hmm. The reason Culture is rising is probably because of that, isn’t it?”

The angel pointed at the jelly-type lifeforms, where a clear change was taking place.

Jellies, puddings, and gummies began decorating their shells in flashy ways. Some evolved more protruding horns, others grew spikes, while some extended long tentacles or developed scales—each creating unique organs.

Some trembled violently to create vibrations, while others performed courtship ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dances, jumping and flopping in place as if trying to attract the attention of predators.

“Culture is developing in an extremely primitive form. Just like the gamchi.”

That was correct. Because in this world, 〈Beauty〉 and 〈Culture〉 were fundamentally tied to reproduction and sex.

If one had ever heard of sexual selection, there was no need to explain why meteor reproduction was the solution.